Like spinning plates: Giant ice formation is an internet hit
theweathernetwork.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 4:52 PM - A rare ice phenomenon is spinning away in a river in Maine, and it's become an internet sensation.
The spinning disc is roughly the size of a football field and can be found off the banks of the Presumpscot River.
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Officials say it's moving in a counter-clockwise direction.
Experts say these types of formations are possible in slow-moving, rotating sections of a river. Slow-moving water freezes faster, creating a circle of ice.
The disk was first spotted Monday morning, according to The Weather Channel.
“It’s stuck right there. It’s not going anywhere. I think it will continue to gain in thickness as long as it keeps spinning,” Rob Mitchell, a local business office owner who was one of the first people to spot the disk, told the Portland Press Herald.
He said the spinning ice is serving as a "giant lazy Susan" for curious ducks that have landed to investigate.
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Witnesses say it takes about 49 minutes for the saucer to complete a rotation.
There is more snow on the way for the area, so there's a chance the disk could grow even larger in the days to come.